Sweet Obsession (35 page)

Shocked, I took off my robe and started to hit the fire, succeeding in only temporarily keeping the flames from burning them alive. The queen looked up at me, terrified, and she and Natalie were coughing from all the smoke they had inhaled. I stepped through the fire, pulled the queen up, grabbed Natalie, and pulled them both out of the room. My eyes stung from all the smoke, and I covered my mouth, not wanting to inhale the poisonous air.

I could still hear the cries of children being burned alive, and it tore my heart out. Nidal came up behind me and grabbed Natalie. She collapsed in his arms. The queen covered her mouth with one hand and grabbed Nidal’s shirt with her other, not wanting to lose Nidal from her sight. Nidal yelled hysterically for me to follow him, but I could not, not when children were still trapped inside. I ran the opposite way, to another part of the building, and tried to help a child who was screaming for help. She was trapped under her burning bed, but I was too late. The flames swallowed her, and she was gone within seconds. Horrified, I took a step backward and froze in my tracks. I was trapped in this room with nowhere to go. Flames engulfed the entranceway.

I started coughing. I knew I had swallowed a lot of smoke, and my throat burned. It was time to exit this building before I put my unborn baby at risk. My vision was blurred, and I could not see where to go. At that moment, I heard glass break behind me, and I felt someone’s arms wrap tightly around me and pull me out the window. Immediately, fresh air filled my lungs. I opened and closed my eyes a few times, trying to clear them from the sting of the smoke.

Nidal held me in his arms and brought me to a safe distance away from the fire. He placed a kiss on my lips and handed me over to a worried Billal. Relief flooded Billal’s eyes as he cried my name over and over again until I saw tears roll down his face before he buried his face in my hair. He then gently placed me on a blanket that was on the grass right next to the queen and Natalie. The doctor was checking their pulse.

Billal left me and went to give orders to his men. He was their leader. He was in charge of catastrophic events like this one. He took control of the situation, and he directed the whole operation. I turned my attention to Nidal and saw him running back into the burning building. The raging fire swept across the building, and the flames had engulfed most of the orphanage, making it very dangerous to go inside. Nidal’s life was threatened, and fear gripped my heart. I quickly jumped up and raced toward the building, and I heard everyone yelling for me to turn back, but I could not. Nidal was in there, and I could not just sit back and watch him get burned alive. At that moment, I heard Billal’s voice behind me, yelling for me to stop. I kept running. I ignored everyone, and I ran even faster.

Billal caught up to me, and he lifted me up in his arms and ran the opposite direction from the fire. I kicked and screamed for him to put me down. He dropped me gently on the grass and held me down so I would not escape.

He yelled, “Stop it! Do not put your baby in harm’s way. Stay put. Nidal will return. I promise you.”

He was a terrible liar. I could see it in his eyes. He was just as afraid as I was.

At that moment, the whole roof caved into the flames, and I screamed out Nidal’s name, terrified out of my mind. I sprung to my feet and started running as fast as I could toward the fire, but Billal once again caught me just in time and held me at bay. I cried and yelled, and I screamed and kicked at Billal, begging him to release me, but he held me even tighter. I looked into his eyes and saw raw fear there.

With trembling lips, he said, “Stay here. I will go for him. Promise me that you will stay here, Loula. Promise me now,” he demanded. And without waiting for a response, he ran inside the burning house, and I ran after him.

The walls were falling down. The flames and the smoke had consumed the better part of the building, making it impossible for anyone to survive. Billal disappeared inside, and as I too followed behind him, I knew not where to go. I could not see a thing, but I knew I had to find Nidal. If anything happened to him, I would rather die right here with him than live a life without him. I forgot I was pregnant and that I was putting my child in harm’s way. All I could think about at this moment was Nidal and his life. I loved him with all my heart, and I could not stay outside knowing he was in here.

At that moment, I heard Nidal call out my name. He sounded terrified. At the opposite direction, I heard Billal call out my name as well. They were both alive. But I could not answer their calls. My throat burned from too much smoke inhalation, making it impossible for me to talk.

The wall behind me collapsed. I scrambled out of the way just in time. Frantic now, I looked for the exit. But I knew not which way it was. I started to run, realizing I was trapped with nowhere to go. I stood in fear as the rest of the building started to cave in. A piece of wood came crashing on my head, and I passed out.

When I awoke, I saw Nidal. His face was black from the smoke. He was kneeling above me, pulling his hair, and crying aloud like a little baby. When he saw that I had opened my eyes, he grabbed me in his arms and held me tight, as if his life depended on it. I never felt happier as I did at this moment. He was alive, and that was all that mattered to me.

That instant, Billal grabbed Nidal by the shoulders and tried to push him out of his way, but Nidal would not budge. He held on to me, kissing me on my lips, and I melted with love. He was my life, and I knew I was his. I kissed him back with a force so passionate that I was oblivious to anything or anyone around us.

It was very selfish of me to be displaying my feelings like this. I saw Billal stand quietly next to us. In that instant, my hand automatically went to my stomach, and my eyes widened in disbelief.
The baby
. I had forgotten about its existence.

“Billal!” I cried. “My baby! Is my baby all right?” I asked, terrified of the answer.

Billal dropped to his knees next to me, and Nidal backed away. His face was stone cold as he disappeared into the crowd.

At that moment the doctor arrived, and after checking me twice he said, “You and the baby are going to be just fine, Loula.”

“What about the queen and Natalie? How are they faring?” I asked, worried about their health.

“Thanks to you, Loula, for playing the hero, they are alive and well, but please don’t you ever do that again!” he said sternly.

When the doctor walked away to check on all the other people who needed his help, Billal lifted me up in his arms and walked toward the palace, squeezing me tight.

The people cleared out a path for Billal to walk through, and I heard them praise my name for saving the queen and Natalie. They saw me as a hero, but I did not feel like one. I only did what I did in the name of love, not to be praised as a hero. As Billal raced up the stairs, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air in my lungs. This was a horrible night that will never be forgotten, not by me or anyone else in the kingdom.

I lay awake in Billal’s arms all night as he held me close to him. Tonight, we lost all the children from the orphanage except Natalie. Her fate was not to die in this fire. Not tonight. Not here in this way. I cried for all the lives lost, all those little children who had had miserable lives from the moment they were born. Their fate was sealed. Natalie survived because the queen was with her. She was the real hero, not I. She kept the child alive until I got there. This queen of ours had a big heart. She was by far a better person than our king was.

At first glance of sunlight, I heard a light tap on the door and the queen’s voice from the other side asking if she could enter. I quickly jumped out of bed, ran to the door, and opened it. The queen walked in, fell into my arms, and cried a river of tears. I cried along with her for all the little lives that were lost.

The queen straightened up and said, “Loula, you are a very brave lady. Last night, I saw another side of you that I did not know existed. You saved Natalie and me from being burned to death, and for this, I will be forever grateful,” she said sincerely. “And I am so thrilled to know that your child is safe.” The queen threw a quick glance at Billal, and then she returned her gaze to me. “I need to see you later alone, please. Maybe after lunch?”

“Yes, of course.” Is anything wrong?” I asked worriedly.

The queen looked at me sadly. “We will talk later, all right?” She kissed me on the cheek, opened the door, and left the room.

Puzzled, I looked at Billal as he jumped out of bed, walked up to me, and gave me a big hug. “You feel so good in my arms, Loula. I am thankful to God for keeping you and the baby safe. I love you.” There were tears in both our eyes as we hugged some more.

During lunch, everyone ate in silence. Nidal, Billal, and I did not touch our food. We were not hungry. I looked around the table and saw that yesterday’s fire had emotionally disturbed everybody who sat at the table. Only the king and Shaeena sat smugly. The rest of us were still feeling last night’s pain. I knew not what caused the fire that killed all the innocent children and servants, but it was being whispered that it was arson. Who would do such a thing to innocent little children?

I stole a few glances at Nidal, and each time, I caught him looking straight at me. There was a different look about him, one I did not recognize. I knew he had enough heartache in his life to suffer a great deal. I felt I too had just as much. Shaeena noticed I was staring at Nidal, and she took that opportunity to hold his hand and throw me a smile that warned me of her stake on him. I sighed. Shaeena was a cold human being who only cared about getting what she wanted and nothing else. God help anyone who stood in her way. Nidal was not the right match for her. She and the king had so much in common. They complimented each other. They were both heartless.

Nidal’s raw emotions were exposing his thoughts. I knew he loved me as I loved him, but the disharmony in our lives left us empty of life. I looked at the queen, and she too looked emotionally drained. Her attachment to all the children had been tight. Now she was left with only Natalie. The queen unconsciously played with her food on her plate. She did not have an appetite either.

The servants served tea and pastries afterward, and when all was said and done, we all rose at the same time and exited the room. The queen pulled me aside when I walked past her and asked if I would follow her up to her quarters. Immediately, I complied with her wishes, and I tagged along behind her. When she opened her door to her chambers, I was surprised to see little Natalie lying in her bed asleep. I threw the queen a questioning glance, and she put her finger to her lips and pulled me to another room that was connected to this one. Her quarters were huge with what looked like four other rooms attached to this one. The decorations were of French taste, and each item looked unique in itself. She had an eye for elegance, and I was sure she played a big hand in decorating her rooms.

The queen closed the door behind us when we entered the second room, and she walked over to the couch on the opposite side of the room, sat on it, and motioned for me to join her. All was quiet around us, and the queen leaned close to me and whispered, “Even the walls have ears. What I am about to tell you is only for your ears alone! Swear to me that you have loyalty to your queen.” She waited patiently for my response.

“I swear by all that is holy that I will not reveal the secret that you are about to tell me without your permission, my queen, and yes, I am loyal to the crown. I am loyal to you,” I promised, waiting eagerly to hear what was on her mind.

The queen took a deep breath. “What I am about to tell you could lead to treason if it is revealed. I trust you, Loula, because I have found a good person in you. The child you carry, it is my belief that it is Nidal’s. You carry my first grandchild, not Shaeena. Her baby is not Nidal’s. I know this without a doubt, just as I know without a doubt the child you carry is my son’s! The king’s infatuation with Shaeena is clouding his judgment, and he is going to ruin my son’s life if I do not put a stop to it. I am in the process of finding out the truth. Shaeena is up to something, and I am not going to let her get away with it!” she said angrily. “I have suspected for some time now that Shaeena is scheming with someone. She is desperate to marry my son, but she does not love him. She only wants to marry him because she wants to be the next queen in line!” she said bitterly.

I did not feel inclined to say a word as I stared at her wide-eyed waiting for her to continue. “In my opinion, Shaeena started the fire intentionally to kill the children.” She waited for my response, knowing I would have a thousand questions for her.

“Your Highness, why would the princess want to kill the children? They were just little angels living their lives. What threat could they have been to Shaeena?” I asked, not really believing her accusations. It was hard for me to imagine the princess a murderer.

The queen lowered her tone a notch before responding, afraid someone might hear her. “She wanted to kill Natalie, and to do that, she had to kill everyone in the process. She wanted Natalie out of the way.” The queen was tearful now as the memories of the fire clouded her mind.